The Distractions
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1975-77) - Mike Finney -- vocals - Steve Perrin -- guitar - Lawrence Tickle -- bass - Tony Trappe -- drums, percussion
line up 2 (1977-80) - Mike Finney -- vocals NEW - Pip Nicholls --- bass, vocals (replaced Lawrence Tickle) - Steve Perrin -- guitar NEW - Alec Sidebottom -- drums, percussion, vocals (replaced Tony Trappe) NEW - Adrian Wright -- guitar, keyboards, vocals
line up 3 (1981) - Mike Finney -- vocals NEW - Arthur Kadmon -- guitar (replaced Steve Perrin) - Pip Nicholls --- bass, vocals - Alec Sidebottom -- drums, percussion, vocals - Adrian Wright -- guitar, keyboards, vocals
line up 4 (1994-95) NEW - Kevin Durkin -- - Mike Finney -- vocals NEW - Steve Perrin -- guitar NEW - Bernard Van Den Berg --
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- Ludus (Arthud Kadmon) - The Purple Gang (Alec Sidebottom)
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Genre: rock Rating: 4 stars **** Title: Nobody's Perfect Company: Island Catalog:
ILPS 9604 Country/State: Manchester, UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: UK pressing Available: 1 Catalog ID: 3519 Price: $30.00 |
Singer Mike Finney and guitarist Steve Perrin met while attending college. Discovering a common interest in music, the pair decided to form a band with bassist Lawrence Tickle and drummer Tony Trappe.
By 1977 the line-up had morphed to reflect Finney, Perrin, bassist Pip Nicholls, former The Purple Gang drummer Alec Sidebottom and guitarist/keyboardist Adrian Wright. The latter two after responding to an advertisement the band had placed in a British music newspaper (NME). As The Distractions the band offered up an interesting mixture of punk, new wave, and '60s pop/rock influences.
A growing reputation on the Machester club scene saw them signed by Tony Davidson's Manchester-based T.J.M. label, where they made their recording debut with a 1978 four track EP:
"You're Not Going Out Dressed That Way": (side 1) 1.) Doesn't Bother Me (Steve Perrin - Mike Finney) - 2:50 2.) Nothing (Steve Perrin - Mike Finney) - 3:00
(side 2) 1.) Maybe It's Love (Adrian Wright - Mike Finney) - 3:00 2.) Too Young (Steve Perrin - Mike Finney) - 2:00
Picked up by Manchester's Factory Records, their next released was a 1979 single:
- 1979's 'Time Goes By So Slow' b/w 'Pillow Fight' (Factory catalog number FAC 12)
Next up was a deal with Chris Blackwell's Island Records and another 1979 single.
1979's 'It Doesn't Bother Me' b/w 'One Way Love' (Island catalog number WIP 6533)
Sporting three talented writers in Mike Finney, Steve Perrin, and Adrian Wright, these guys clearly had a passion for '60s pop. Exemplified by the remake of Eden Kaye's UK hit 'Boys Cry' and originals like '(Stuck In a ) Fantasy' and 'Wonder Girl' you could hear a wide range of '60s influences. Coupled with the fact they could actually play and sing; well that put them at a distinct disadvantage when it came to competitors who may have lacked the same talent, but sported attitude, or a cooler new wave identity. In their defense, it wasn't as The Distractions hadn't been listening to and influenced by punk and new wave. 'Louise' sounded like a good Elvis Costello and the Attractions performance. 'Paracetamol Paralysis' was a bouncy slight of new wave, hurky jerky energy. Looking like an accountant, Finney had a dynamite voice that could easily give Sting a run for his money in the slightly ominous and sinister delivery department - check out the lyrics to the opener 'Waiting for Lorraine.' That said, the band's secret strength derived from a killer rhythm section - Nicholls and Sidebottom were awesome. Check out their work on '(Stuck In a ) Fantasy'.
"Nobody's
Perfect" track listing: 1.) Waiting for Lorraine (Steve Perrin) - rating: **** stars If you ever wonder if it was possible to blend jangle rock and punk frustrations, I'd suggest 'Waiting for Lorraine' would be a good place to turn for an answer. This was one pissed off narrative wrapped in a glistening pop melody. My suggestion would have been for Lorraine to return the phone call ... Yeah, they've aged a bit, but based on this March, 2017 performance, the song's still in their live repertoire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-1iT__UCso 2.) Something for the Weekend (Steve Perrin) - rating: *** stars
'Something for the Weekend' underscored a more punk-oriented sound, though with a commercial sheen, an infectious refrain, and a lyric that wasn't moronic. Easy to see why it was tapped as a single:
1980's 'Something for the Weekend' b/w 'What's the Use?' (Island catalog number WIP 6650)
3.) Boys Cry (When No One Can See Them) (Eden Kaye - Tommy Scott) rating: **** stars Few Americans have ever heard the original Eden Kaye UK hit. Shame. Still, The Distraction's jangle-rock version was a nice tribute to Kaye's 1964 hit. Island tapped it as a UK single as well.
- 1980's 'Boys Cry' b/w 'Paracetamol Paralysis' (Island catalog number WIP 6568) 4.) Sick and Tired (Steve Perrin - Mike Finney) - rating: **** stars Imagine punk band that could actually play their instruments and had a knack for rhythm and melodies. If you head down that aural alleyway there's a good chance you'd stumble on to a band like The Distractions. Add in Steve Perrin's squealing guitar and 'Sick and Tired' was one of the hidden gems on this album. 5.) Leave You To Dream (Steve Perrin) - rating: **** stars Showcasing Wright's bright guitar and some unexpectedly sweet backing vocals, 'Leave You To Dream' was a pretty and very top-40 friendly performance. Imagine The Barenaked Ladies with a Manchester background. Hard to imagine this one wasn't tapped as a single. 6.) Louise (Steve Perrin) - rating: *** stars Maybe it was Adrian Wright organ fills, but 'Louise' has always reminded me of a good Elvis Costello and the Attractions song. Nice mix of new wave and commercial moves. 7.) Paracetamol Paralysis (Adrian Wright) - rating: **** stars 'Paracetamol Paralysis' showcased some new wave angst at its best with some awesome roaring Perrin guitar.
(side 2) 1.) (Stuck In a ) Fantasy (Adrian Wright) - rating: **** stars '(Stuck In a ) Fantasy ' offered up a wonderful blend of '60s and '80s influences with a killer Perrin solo to boot. Kudos to drummer Alec Sidebottom on this one. 2.) Nothing (Steve Perrin - Mike Finney) - rating: ** stars Having previously appeared on their debut EP, the ballad 'Nothing' reappeared in a re-recorded version. A bit raw, a touch too slow, and with a flat group vocal, this one was the album's first disappointment. The track did have a nice guitar solo. 3.) Wonder Girl (Steve Perrin) - rating: *** stars 'Wonder Girl' was a sweet, organ powered ballad almost worth hearing just for the Manchester accent. 4.) Untitled (Steve Perrin - Mike Finney) - rating: **** stars In spite of the inauspicious title, 'Untitled' was the album's most conventional rocker and one of the stand out performers. 5.) Still It Doesn't Ring (Steve Perrin - Mike Finney) - 6.) Looking for a Ghost (Steve Perrin) - rating: **** stars Super pretty ballad with wonderful backing vocals and one of the saddest lyrics you'll ever hear. 7.) Valerie (Steve Perrin - Mike Finney) - rating: *** stars It took a moment to power through the lunge act piano opening, but when it did, 'Valerie' proved to be the album's most punk-ish performance. Nice way to end the album.
Unfortunately the album did little commercially and Island dropped them from its recording roster. Frustrated with the band's lack of commercial success, guitarist Perrin subsequently tendered his resignation. He was quickly replaced by former Ludus guitarist Arthur Kadmon. The revamped line-up recorded a three track EP before calling it quits in 1981.
"And Then There Were": (side 1) 1.) Twenty Four Hours (Arthur Kadom - Mike Finney) -
(side 2) 1.) Ghost of a Chance (Arthur Kadom) - 2.) Love Is Not For Me (Adrian Wright - Pip Nichols) -
In 1994 Finney and Perrin briefly reformed the band with Kevin Durkin and Bernard Van Den Berg. The group recorded some demos of new material and undertook some live dates, but called it quits.
There's a nice Distractions website at: http://distractionsnothing.blogspot.com/
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